Ireland’s first festival of Comedy Improvisation

“IMPROV FEST IRELAND”

Ireland’s first festival of Comedy Improvisation

The inaugural Improv Fest Ireland will take place from the 10th to the 17th of November, featuring 22 of the best acts from around Ireland, the UK and the USA. The festival will also feature a Celebrity Improv show in aid of Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

Comedy Improv is the fastest growing form of comedy in the US and UK and is quickly gaining traction with audiences here in Ireland. Made famous by TV shoes like Whose Line is it Anyway? and Mock The Week, comedy improv is an innovative art of creating unscripted spontaneous comedy.

Festival Director Neil Curran said “The festival aims to highlight the diversity of Comedy Improv as a Performing Art and introduce new audiences to the excitement and fun of what Improv has to offer.”

Having performed all over the world and used improv for coaching in the likes of Google and Facebook, Neil noticed the growing number of quality Irish Improv troupes and said he was struck by the need to showcase these talents. “10 years ago there weren’t more than 2 or 3 decent improv troupes in the whole country; today there must be 15 to 20 troupes around the country doing really good quality innovative work. I felt this talent needed a platform and Improv Fest grew out of that.”

Apart from the Irish acts at the festival, some of the best Improv troupes from the UK as well as acts from California and Boston will be performing, including award winning groups; The Maydays (UK) and Improv Boston (US). Most of the shows take place in Theatre@36, The Teacher’s Club Theatre in Dublin.

The festival is affiliated with The Children’s Medical & Research Foundation (CMRF), Crumlin’s Children Hospitaland is also an official event ofThe Gathering 2013

Improv Fest also features a “Celebrity Charity show” which takes place in The Button Factory where a bunch of well known Irish personalities, will be given a crash course in improv and then put them on stage in front of a live audience all in aid of Crumlin Hospital! Some of the names taking part include: Síle Seoige, Daniella Moyles,Rick O’Shea, Jenny Buckley, Ruth Scott, Louise Heraghty, Diana Bunici,Paddy McKenna, and Shane Gillen.

On Friday 18th October, there is a Festival Fundraiser Comedy Deathmatch night in McGrattan’s Café Bar on Fitzwilliam Lane at 8pm.